Enclosure for Boa

[Dutti]

Actually, its opposite. Snakes usually grow larger in captivity because they are fed like clockwork more food than needed and live in optimal conditions with no need to exercise or actually 'hunt' for food. In the wild, boas can and do go months without food. They need to first find it and then actually catch it. Not to mention in the winter there, they go 3+ months with no food at all. This is why boas are opportunistic feeders and dont pass up meals unless they have been stuffed. They also arent fed the optimum size food either. In the wild, they cant be picky. So they might get lucky and get a nice big dinner or they might end up only catching a snack.

And i have never seen a 10 foot BCi ever. i have seen 8 foot ones but those are usually about 10-15 years old if properly fed. If over fed, they are usually dead within 5 years. Now BCC do get large, especially Peruvians which are the largest BCC and do get to 10 feet. But those snakes are very old. Rule of thumb i was told was that if you properly feed your boa, you can expect about 12 inches per year of growth for the first 3-4 years. Then it slows down dramatically.

You have never seen a 10 foot BCI ever? You just saw 8 foot ones? Here is a male BCI over 10 foot for sure, and most probably 12 foot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px7pxz_T0_s

[MD_Pythons]

You have never seen a 10 foot BCI ever? You just saw 8 foot ones? Here is a male BCI over 10 foot for sure, and most probably 12 foot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px7pxz_T0_s

Dutti, that's just a perspective trick. I seriously doubt it's 10 feet long.

[Sauzo]

Unless it is put next to a tape measure, i call BS on 10 ft. I have seen too many people claim their boas are 8 or 9 or 10 ft and then when you put them next to a tape measure, they magically shrink to become a 7 ft boa. A 10 foot is a HUGE snake. And this is coming from Youtube which i find questionable to start with lol. Anything on the internet i take with a grain of salt unless the person in question is reputable or i trust them. Some Joe Blow, no thanks. Heck i could claim my 6.5ft female BCI is 10 feet and manipulate a camera in a way to make it look big and not give a tape measure or reference to gauge it by. But anyways, like i said, i have seen 8 feet that i would believe. I have seen claims of 10 feet though from people on FB and stuff but most of the knowledgeable boa guys on the boa FB pages pretty much shoot holes in the claims.

But hey, whatever Dutti, you are more than welcome to believe stuff you read on the internet from any Joe Blow and then show it to other people

[svtvenom]

Whats the best UTH I can get that comes with a thermostat? I will order a plastic hide when I can. Also sometimes when I hold him, his scales will kind of catch on to my clothes or I can feel them on my skin almost as if they are being pulled up, is that normal?

[dakski]

Whats the best UTH I can get that comes with a thermostat? I will order a plastic hide when I can. Also sometimes when I hold him, his scales will kind of catch on to my clothes or I can feel them on my skin almost as if they are being pulled up, is that normal?

I am not sure what the best UTH with thermostat is. I imagine most thermostats would work with most UTH's, assuming wattage is compatible and probe is placed correctly. However, I have limited experience here.

Regarding the scale issue, or non issue, I have a few thoughts, but a picture of the scales would probably help here. To be clear, the scales are not coming off, right?

1. Is he going into shed? That might help explain what you are feeling.

2. If humidity and hydration are not correct, that might explain what you are feeling.

3. EVERYTHING COULD BE FINE. He is your first Boa, correct? They feel different than BP's, Corn snakes, etc. They tend to be softer and the skin a little looser/flexible, IMO.

Just my initial thoughts/two cents.

[Sauzo]

Whats the best UTH I can get that comes with a thermostat? I will order a plastic hide when I can. Also sometimes when I hold him, his scales will kind of catch on to my clothes or I can feel them on my skin almost as if they are being pulled up, is that normal?

You order them separately. As for a t-stat, my vote goes to Herpstats by Spyder Robotics. I have used them for years and never had a problem. Even my 5 years old Herpstat 1 worked fine when i sold it when i upgraded to 2 Herpstat 6.

As for a UTH, go with any of the non stick heat tapes, like Flexwatt or THG. You can also get pre wired stuff like Flukers or Ultratherm. Any of them will work well. For Flexwatt and THG, i say go through Reptile Basics as Rich will wire it for you if you buy the wire kit. For Ultratherm, i say go with Bean Farm. I live by them and go out there a lot to pick up stuff and they are awesome to deal with. They wont wire Flexwatt though as Doug isnt a certified electrician and that opens liability issues but you can wire it yourself with a pair of channel locks.

As for the scales 'lifting' when you hold him, he might be a bit dry. Try misting the substrate and keeping his humidity at minimum 65%. That happens to my boas if i space out and let their cages dry out in the winter. And yes, you can mist aspen and it wont mold.

[svtvenom]

Ok great, I will order a better UTH and thermostat tonight. I will pay more attention when I hold him tonight. It feels like the edge of his scale gets caught when he starts moving backwards or if I have to pick him up off of my arm. I don't think he's going into shed, his eyes aren't blue or anything. For misting, do you guys have to mist your cages daily? I'm also scared of it being too humid and he gets a RI.

I didn't realize the were sold separately.

[svtvenom]

I still don't completely understand how the thermostat and UTH heater work together. Does the UTH get plugged into the thermostat? Sorry for all the questions.

[dakski]

Ok great, I will order a better UTH and thermostat tonight. I will pay more attention when I hold him tonight. It feels like the edge of his scale gets caught when he starts moving backwards or if I have to pick him up off of my arm. I don't think he's going into shed, his eyes aren't blue or anything. For misting, do you guys have to mist your cages daily? I'm also scared of it being too humid and he gets a RI.

I didn't realize the were sold separately.

Moving backwards and occasionally getting a scale caught can happen. Again, make sure he is hydrated and humidity is good.

It gets very dry in the room/finished basement where I keep my snakes. Even though I have a good enclosure (Boaphile 6X2X1'), and temps maintain, humidity can drop to about 50%. In that case, I add a second water bowl and that seems to rectify the problem. If I can't maintain around 60% - i.e. it's 20% humidity in the room (and I should note that I use paper substrate for ease of cleaning), I do mist WITH WARM WATER up to 1X a day. Usually every couple of days works fine. Emphasis on warm water. Cold tap water can shock the tank temps and your boa.

Remember you want humidity around 55-65% (more on the top end) for Boa's, but if it drops to 50% for a few days or goes to 75% (i.e. when he is going to shed) for a bit, it's not going to be detrimental. You want to have the average be optimal, but small gyrations are going to happen. Obviously 20% for a few days could be bad, but 50% would be ok.

Remember, they are not incredibly sensitive. It's not like taking a fish out of water if the humidity drops or rise temporarily. I'll have my boa out for a 1/2 hour watching TV with me on the couch at 70F and 25% humidity and she is fine. If I have to take her to the Vet, or when animals are shipped, temps and humidity are not optimal.

GOOD you are being careful and want to do what is right for your little guy. However, don't make yourself crazy once things are dialed in. Until you have a proper tank and thermostat, etc. you may have to make adjustments (I even adjust my tanks when the room gets a few degrees warmer or more humid in the summer) to keep things optimal. However, if dialed in, these should be minor adjustments (a degree or two, 5% humidity up or down) and nothing should be so out of whack as to hurt your snake. Being meticulous and cautious is good. Being anxious and making yourself crazy is exhausting and can lead to overreactions instead of gentle adjustments.

[Sauzo]

Ok great, I will order a better UTH and thermostat tonight. I will pay more attention when I hold him tonight. It feels like the edge of his scale gets caught when he starts moving backwards or if I have to pick him up off of my arm. I don't think he's going into shed, his eyes aren't blue or anything. For misting, do you guys have to mist your cages daily? I'm also scared of it being too humid and he gets a RI.

I didn't realize the were sold separately.

I usually mist twice a week in the winter. I use a pump sprayer and just mist the walls, floor and hides and snakes until it is wet but not like a swamp. I wouldnt mist daily. You want it damp here and there but not constantly wet.

I still don't completely understand how the thermostat and UTH heater work together. Does the UTH get plugged into the thermostat? Sorry for all the questions.

The UTH will plug into the t-stat and the t-stat plugs into the wall. The t-stat basically limits power to the UTH to the temp you set it at via a temperature probe that is on the t-stat that you set into position.